Section 1 — The Language of Money
8 key phrases
Session 2 Key Phrases: Counting and measuring money
How you talk about numbers signals how you think about money. These phrases let you discuss financial scale, context, and precision the way financial professionals do.
To put that in perspective...framing phrase
Use when: making a large or abstract number meaningful with a comparison
Always follow with a concrete comparison. Numbers without context are meaningless — this phrase signals you are about to provide the context.
"To put that in perspective, Apple's market cap exceeds the GDP of most countries in the world."
That's roughly in the region of...approximation phrase
Use when: giving an estimate without claiming false precision
Professional conversations often require an approximate answer quickly. This phrase signals you are giving an informed estimate, not a guess.
"The total liability is roughly in the region of €40 to €50 million — we'll have the exact figure by Thursday."
On a per capita basis...analytical phrase
Use when: comparing countries, companies, or groups relative to population or size
Per capita figures strip out size differences and allow genuine comparison. Using this phrase shows you understand the difference between scale and efficiency.
"The US spends more on healthcare than any other country — but on a per capita basis, outcomes are surprisingly poor."
The revenue is strong, but the margin is thin.analytical statement
Use when: distinguishing top-line sales from actual profitability
A company can have enormous revenue and still barely break even. This phrase shows you understand the difference between turnover and profit.
"The revenue is strong at $2 billion, but the margin is thin — net profit is only 2%, which leaves no room for error."
That represents roughly X% of GDP.contextualizing phrase
Use when: giving economic scale to a government figure, debt, or spending program
Expressing figures as a percentage of GDP makes them comparable across time and countries. This is how economists and journalists frame every major financial number.
"The bailout cost £500 billion — that represents roughly 25% of GDP, the largest peacetime intervention in British history."
Let me give you the headline number.structuring phrase
Use when: leading with the key figure before explaining the detail
Financial communication puts the conclusion first. This phrase tells your audience: the most important number is coming now. The detail follows.
"Let me give you the headline number — we're down 18% year-on-year. I'll walk you through the breakdown after."
The real return — adjusted for inflation — is...precision phrase
Use when: correcting a nominal figure to show the true, inflation-adjusted result
Most quoted returns are nominal. The real return is what matters for your actual purchasing power. Using this distinction marks you as financially literate.
"The account offers 3.5% interest — but the real return, adjusted for 4% inflation, is actually negative."
That's a different order of magnitude.comparative phrase
Use when: emphasizing that two numbers are not just different — they are in a completely different league
Order of magnitude means a factor of 10. Using this phrase signals that a difference is not incremental but fundamental.
"A million and a billion sound similar — but they're a different order of magnitude. A billion is a thousand times larger."